Yes, I have THREE of these. After I bought one, I liked it so much someone gave me another as a gift, and then I bought a spare just in case. I...Read complete review

Yes, I have THREE of these. After I bought one, I liked it so much someone gave me another as a gift, and then I bought a spare just in case. I have used all three in rotation. I'm a physician who works for an organization that, like the Boy Scouts, prides itself on being prepared, so I tend to carry a lot of things around with me when I go anywhere. I use this vest on an almost daily basis and put a lot of things into it, so I was very pleasantly surprised when I discovered how tough it was. After a couple of years of heavy use, only now is one of the vests wearing at a corner of one of the lower front pockets, the ones that get the most use, and I'll have to repair it before it rips out. Because the vests are so light and have large areas of mesh on the back and sides, they are cool and breezy in hot weather. You can carry so much with these vests, so that they are extremely versatile and can be used in all sorts of situations. I often wear one under a flannel shirt or heavier outerwear when it gets cool. I've taken it on extended trips, it folds up small and packs well in a backpack if need be, and it's the only way to carry all the stuff you need when you travel overseas. If you carry your stuff right in all of its pockets (like all of your change, your cameral, wallet, etc., all you have to do when you get to airport security is take it off with everything in it and put it into one of the trays for xraying -- no need to empty out your pants pockets and sportcoat if everything's in the vest. After a hot day you can rinse out the perspiration in the neckline with warm soap and water, squeeze it out, roll it in a towel and let it finish drying even as you are wearing it. The neckline is the only part that collects sweat! One hazard is that you can carry so much with it that it can get quite heavy and start putting a strain on your shoulders, but that's a problem you can control. There are a few very shallow open pockets on the inside that aren't much good for anything other than carrying around a few 20 gauge shotgun cartridges, and there doesn't seem to be a dedicated pocket for a pen or two, but these are minor idiosyncrasies. Overall, it might seem a bit much for such a lightweight (but tough!) garment, but I've seen no other quite like it in terms of usefulness and well thought-out design, so in a very real sense, you get what you pay for!

This vest can easily contain all my photo gear: three lenses, a flash unit, cables and other it and bits. It is very light and easy to operate/reach for items in the pockets. As for pockets one will be in no want of them!

Used to travel extensively and always thought a travel vest was a great accessory but never took the leap to make a purchase. Now that I am retired and don't have to dress professionally, I take it when ever I am on the road. Love it!

inadvertently received 2 vests...fortunately one was just fine because the other had a faulty zipper.

Sizing:

Feels true to size

Comfort vs Style:

Comfort Driven

Was this a gift?:

Yes

Bottom LineYes, I would recommend this to a friend

From National Geographic:Thank you for sharing your comments. We regret that one vest was received with a defective zipper. Our records show that we received two orders from you a day apart. Customer service will be in touch shortly to discuss a solution that works best for you.

I engage in a lot of activities with my dogs. My former perfect vest used for carrying treats, balls, fetch bumpers, water bottle, etc. finally got too worn to wear in public. It took a long time for me to find the perfect replacement, which this vest is. I will also say it is better looking than my former, now-retired vest. Pockets are deep, easy to access, and many. I've gotten lots of compliments on it from my dog training friends. I can carry all of the supplies I need for a nice long dog trek in those wonderful pockets.